


Too Late

by SongsofPsyche



Category: Rent - Larson
Genre: Aftermath, Death, Gen, M/M, Muteness, Other, Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-26 18:46:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17751422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SongsofPsyche/pseuds/SongsofPsyche
Summary: Since April had come into their lives, Roger had started talking again.





	Too Late

To Mark, things seemed to be getting a little better. Ever since Roger had met April, he had seemed to defrost a little bit, since April Roger was more tolerant at being touched since April Roger was smiling again, since April, Roger was going outside again.

 

Since April had come into their lives, Roger had started talking again.

 

Before April things had been rough since that night Roger had come home with blood on his face and fear in his eyes. It hadn’t taken much guesswork to put things together. Roger had come home with his clothes pulled on haphazardly, he had come home with bruises and blood on his face, he had come home limping with no shoes on. Roger had been raped, he had lost his virginity and his voice in one painful night, and Mark had no idea how to bring his friend back.

 

Then Roger met April and everything started changing. She had sat through all the nightmares, all the insomnia, and all the dry heaving. She had held out her hand for so long she lost feeling in her fingers waiting for him touch her. She had scooted closer, centimeter by centimeter until he had allowed her to sit next to him. And then she had moved on to Mark, then Collins until Roger was comfortable sitting on the couch with them not quite touching him but close enough to provide camaraderie. They waited patiently with him, gently speaking to him whispers of nonsense until he was able to whisper back to them.

 

He allowed April to hold his hand, then he allowed her to kiss him on the cheek, then he allowed her to give him a hug. Until finally one night, after an effort filled day on gently prompting she was able to have him in bed.

 

They had never thought to have Roger tested, they hadn’t even filed a police report and Mark knew that that was their biggest mistake. HIV was a funny disease; you could contract it, but not feel the symptoms for months. They had thought that they were safe.

 

They had been wrong.

 

They had been too late.

 

They had found Roger soaking wet, clothes stained with blood standing motionless in the living room, hand clutching a waterlogged note;

 

We have AIDS.

 

They had followed the red footprints into the bathroom where they saw a tub full of blood and a lifeless April sunk down to the bottom.

 

They had been too late, and all the progress that April made with Roger was gone.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where this came from but I had to get it out of my head. RENT is amazing, go see it!


End file.
